English via Skype with a Native Speaker. Pros and Cons. Part 1

Life does not stand still: people have been always looking for the best language courses, and today, the study of English via Skype is very popular. The main question with this method is which instructor to choose: a local one or a native speaker. One can argue that it may be expensive, and there can be time zone differences, etc. But the fact remains the same: a native English tutor is able to give you something that our compatriot, alas, cannot give. Although there are some peculiarities about the lessons with a native speaker. What kind of those are we talking about? Let us find out.

1. Overcoming the Language Barrier

Speaking practice is something that students often lack. How difficult it is to overcome your shyness and the so-called "language barrier"! We must give credit to the very method of learning: when studying English via Skype, about 70% of the time is devoted to improving conversational skills. Bear in mind that speakers do not master your mother tongue, they understand a couple of words at best. You will not be tempted to turn to it, because a foreigner will not understand anything. Do not let this frighten you, but please. Once you can understand the speech of a teacher, you will understand other English speakers.

2. Getting Rid of an Accent

Do you have a strong accent? Maybe that is because you rarely encounter some foreign speech firsthand? Remember, we hear our parents speak since our childhood, and we repeat after them all the words and expressions (which sometimes make our grandparents blush). Pretty the same thing happens in learning: you will get used to repeating not only and not so much certain words as the manner of speaking, an accent. By the way, it is notably a foreigner, who is struck by the inaccuracies in your pronunciation. Your mother tongue speaking teacher cannot always catch your mistakes.

3. We Learn the Most Modern Version of the Language

The freshest original idioms and newfangled words can be delivered to you only by an English-speaking teacher. Your tutor will explain in which cases and with what intonation to use some vivid expressions. Classic English is good, but do not forget about the relevance. You will not be able to understand what your English-speaking interlocutors are talking about until you begin to learn and use modern vocabulary in practice.

4. Explanation of Grammar and Vocabulary in Context

A native speaker usually tries to simplify the presentation of grammar. You are unlikely to hear boring rules from a textbook, long stories about subject, predicate, etc. But they can bring bright examples of use of a particular grammatical construction or expression.

5. All Attention Will Be Paid to You

Probably, among our readers, there are those who say to themselves: "I can go to the courses, there are meetings with foreigners there sometimes". Of course, this is a cheaper option, but the attention of visiting John will be shared with the whole group. If you are using Skype, a teacher will work with you 100% of the time. So, it is well worth the money.

6. Affordable Price

If you decide to deal with a native speaker via Skype, the prices will pleasantly surprise you. Undoubtedly, full-time individual lessons with a foreigner in your city will cost two, and even three times more. You will be convinced that it is much more profitable to study via Skype than to hire an offline tutor.

7. The Opportunity to Learn from an Experienced Teacher with High Qualification

Any school of English approaches the recruitment of teachers in their team with responsibility. You can use these criteria for your own selection of the best teacher. Even opponents of online classes will agree that in a small village, it can be difficult to find a qualified teacher, let alone a native speaker. The main thing for a foreigner, however, is to be a teacher, not an office clerk who travels the world and decided to make some money in your city. Good English tutors, as a rule, are tied to their place of work abroad, so they prefer to teach students via the Internet.

8. Getting New Knowledge About Other Countries

Does your English tutor live in America or the UK? You will be the first to learn all the news, and not from questionable media, but firsthand. In addition, foreigners will be happy to tell you about culture, traditions, legends of their country. Start travelling without leaving your computer!

9. You Are Not Attached to a Specific Place

If the previous paragraph did not convince you, and you went on a real trip, this is not a reason to interrupt studies. The Internet is omnipresent for you to study from anywhere and at any time.

10. Everyone Gets What One Needs

Are you a successful manager and need a special lexicon from the field of finance to write a business letter? You can take a business English course. The tutor will tell you about the basic methods of dealing with business correspondence and help you master specific terms.

In the second part of this article, we will learn more about who should not choose a native speaker as a teacher.

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